Shoe press



s She ets -Sheet 1 SHOE PRESSl Filed July 24. 1941 Feb. 16,1943. w. s. AN-DERSGN Fig.1. 2

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WiHiqm S.Anderson byWMiW Aflys.

Feb. 16, 1943; w. SANDERSON SHOE PRESS Filed July 24, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 \HVBHTQTI. William S. Anderson Patented Feb. 16, 1943 William S. Anderson, Philadelphia, Pa, assignor to Shoe Press Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Application July 24, 1941, Serial No. 403,774

3 Claims.

This invention relates to sole presses for use in cementing soles to shoe bottoms and particularly to that type of sole press which comprises a pad member having rigid bottom and side walls and also having a flexible diaphragm which has its marginal edges secured to the upper edge of the side walls, thereby to form a fluid-containing chamber with a flexible top against which the shoe is pressed to provide the attaching pressure by which the sole is secured to the shoe bottom.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a novel sole press of this type which is especially designed for use in cementing whole soles to shoe bottoms.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel sole press in which the portion of the flexible diaphragm acting on the heel portion of the sole is reinforced by a flat surfaced heel plate so that when the attaching pressure is applied to the shoe, the heel of the sole will be held flat, thus facilitating the subsequent operation of attaching the heel to the shoe.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel sole press for cementing whole soles to shoe bottoms which is so constructed that it operates equally Well on shoes of large size and small size.

In most shoe presses of this type, the pressure is applied to the shoe by means of a screw which is screw-threaded in a yoke that rises from the body of the pad member, and a further object of the invention is to provide a novel means for transmitting pressure from the screw to the last ed shoe, which is so constructed as to preserve the correct vertical position of the shoe during the application of the attaching pressure, thereby insuring that the sole will be subjected to the same pressure on both sides of its median line.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sole press in which the flexible diaphragm is slightly elastic equally in all directions and thus is capable of a slight stretching when subjected to tension and of recovering its normal shape when the tension is relieved.

An advantage resulting from the use of a sole press having a diaphragm of this type is that when a whole sole is being cemented to the shoe bottom, the shank portion of the sole on the inside edge will be caused to conform to the shape of the last at this point, thus giving the sole a sort of arch-supporting effect.

Further objects of the invention are to improve generally sole presses of the above type in the particulars hereinafter set forth.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated some selected embodiments of my invention:

Fig. l is a plan view showing a sole press embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a difierent embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the pressuretransmitting member.

section on the line 2--2,

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view illustrative of one way in which the diaphragm may be constructed to give equal elasticity in all directions.

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 1-1, Fig. 2. Fig. 8' is a section on the line 8-8, Fig. 2. Fig. 9 is an enlarged sectional view through the flexible diaphragm.

In the drawings, l indicates a shoe into which a last 2 has been inserted, and 3 indicates a whole sole which is being cemented to the shoe bottom by my improved sole press. The pad member against which the shoe is pressed to provide the attaching pressure between the sole 3 and the shoe bottom comprises a body member 4 having a rigid bottom 5, rigid side walls 6', and a flexible top or cover 1 in the form of a diaphragm which has its marginal portions 8 overlying and secured to the top edges of the side walls 6 by means of clamping strips 9 which are secured to the side walls 6 by means of clamping bolts it. There is thus provided a chamber 4| within the body member 4 Which is filled with either water or some other suitable liquid or air under pressure, as usual in sole presses of this type. 7

ll designates an inverted U-shaped yoke member, the ends l2 of the legs of which are secured to the sides of the body member 4. This yoke member has a pressure-applying screw l3 screwthreaded therethrough which is provided at its upper end with a handle Hi by which it may be operated. The pressure is transmitted from the screw l3 to the shoe through the medium of a pressure bracket 5 which has a general L-shape, the vertical arm l6 thereof being formed at its lower end with a pad H adapted to rest on the top of the shoe at the toe portion thereof, and the other or horizontal arm I8 of which rests On a pressure-transmitting element 19 which is provided with a pin portion 20 adapted to enter the jack: pin hole Mi with which the heel portion of the last 2 isprovided. The body of the pressure-transmitting member is has the general shape of a truncated cone which provides down- 2 wardly facing shoulder 2| that engages the top face 22 of the last and which also provides the upper flat face 23 on which the lower edge of the arm I8 of the pressure bracket rests.

The pressure bracket is formed on its under face with a longitudinally extending channel or groove 24, and the pressure-transmitting member I9 is provided centrally with an upstanding projection 25 which occupies the groove 24. The transverse dimension of the projection 25 is the same as that of the groove 24, but the vertical dimension is slightly less than the depth of the groove.

The upper face 25 of the arm I8 is provided with a plurality of recesses 21 of a size to receive the tip end 28 of the pressure screw I3.

In using the device, it is highly desirable that the pressure should be so applied to the shoe as to secure an equal distribution of pressure throughout the sole 3. 4

The construction of the pressure bracket I5 and the pressure-transmitting member I9 is a factor in securing this desiderata. The engagement of the up-standing projection 25 in the channel 24 of the pressure bracket I5 and the engage-member of the pin portion of the pressure-transmitting member in the jack pin hole 40 of the last serves to hold the last in its correct vertical position, and as a result, the pressure will be applied to the sole 3 equally on both sides of its longitudinal median line. Another advantage of the channel 24 is that it provides an infinite number of operative relative positions of the pressure bracket I5 and the pressure-transmitting member I9 so that the device can be used equally well with shoes of any size. In cementing soles to shoes, it is desirable that the pressure should be applied to the fore part of the shoe, always at the same point, and by making the horizontal arm I8 of the pressure bracket with the channel 24, it is possible to place the pad I! always at the desired point on the toe portion of the shoe and yet have the projection 25 on the pressure-transmitting member I9 operatively engaged in the channel 24 regardless of any variation in the length size of the shoe or in the position of the jack pin hole in the last.

As a further means for securing equal distribution of pressure throughout the sole 3, I have made the yoke member II capable of being adjusted longitudinally of the body member 4 so as to enable the tip 28 of the pressure screw I3 to engage in the particular recess 21 which will result in evenly distributing the pressure between the heel portion and the toe portion of the sole 3 when the pressure screw is operated. On the other hand, if it is desired that a preponderance of pressure should be applied to either the toe portion of the sole or the heel portion thereof, then the position of the yoke member I I may be shifted on the body member to provide engagement between the pressure screw I3 and the pressure bracket I5 which will result in the desired distribution of pressure.

To secure this end, the body member 4 is formed at each side with a laterally extending rib 29, and the lower end I2 of each leg of the yoke II is provided with a groove 30 to receive the corresponding rib. When the pressure on the screw I3 is relieved, the yoke I I and its screw can be slid back and forth on the body member I so as to place the yoke in a position which will result in an equal distribution of the pressure onall parts of the sole 3when the screw I3 is operated.

When a shoe is being soled by cementing a whole sole thereto, it is desirable that the flat shape of the bottom face of the heel portion of the sole should be retained during the application of the attaching pressure, and to provide for this, I propose to employ a heel plate which is situated within the chamber M underneath the diaphragm I, which heel plate maintains that portion only of the diaphragm I which is acting on the heel in a flat condition, but is free to rock sufiiciently to conform to the plane of the under face of the heel of the shoe. In Figs. 1, 2 and 3, this heel plate is indicated at 3|, and it is sh'own as mounted within the chamber 4| in such a way as to permit it to have a rocking motion to adapt itself to the position which the shoe assumes when the attaching pressure is applied. The heel plate is illustrated as having a stem 32 depending from its underside and terminating ina ball 33 which is received in a socket 34 formed in a socket member 35 that is secured to the bottom 50f the body member 4.

When the screw I3 is operated to apply the attaching pressure between the sole and the shoe bottom, the portion 35 of the diaphragm I against which the heel portion 3? of the Whole sole 3 rests is brought into contact with the heel plate 3|, as shown in Fig. 2, so that said portion 31 of the diaphragm I is held in a fiat condition, and as a result, the under face of the heel portion 31 of the whole sole will be held flat while the attaching pressure is maintained and the adhesive is drying. When, therefore, the shoe is removed from the sole press, it presents a flat heel seat to which the heel may be nailed. With this construction the heel plate 3| is free to have a universal rocking motion, and the fiat face of said heel plate is thus free to assume a position which conforms to the plane of the under face of the heel of the shoe so that while the heel portion of the shoe will be given a fiat shape by the heel plate, yet the heel plate will serve to apply a uniform pressure over the entire surface of the heel of the shoe.

In Fig. 4, I have illustrated a somewhat different embodiment of the invention wherein the heel plate is secured to the under face of the diaphragm I. In this embodiment, the heel plate is indicated at Ella, and it may be made of metal, wood or any other suitable material. Said heel plate is held in position against the under side of the diaphragm I by means of a strap member 38 which underlies the heel plate 3i and has its ends 39 secured to the under face of the diaphragm I in some suitable way, as by means of cement. This heel plate Me has a flat upper surface and will be located directly under the portion of the diaphragm 'I on which the heel portion of the shoe sole rests. In this embodiment of the invention, when the attaching pressure is applied, the heel plate em maintains the portion of the diaphragm I which contacts the heel portion of the sole in a flat condition so that the flat shape of the heel portion of the sole is preserved.

W'hile the diaphragm I may be made of any suitable material, I will preferably use a diaphragm of rubber or rubber-like material reinforced with fabric and which is slightly elastic equally in all directions.

When the attaching pressure is applied, and the shoe is pressed against the diaphragm I, the pressure developed in the water within the chamber 4| will cause the portions of the diaphragm circumjacent the shoe sole to bulge upwardly slightly, as shown in Fig. 2, whereby the marginal portion of the forepart of the sole will be subjected to a uniform pressure.

Lasts on which shoes are made and also lasts used in re-soling shoes are commonly cut away somewhat on the inside at the shank portion, as shown at 42 in Fig. 8.

When a Whole sole is being attached to the shoe bottom by means of my improved press, and the attaching pressure is applied, the slightly resilient characteristic of the flexible diaphragm 1 permits it to stretch sufficiently at the shank portion of the shoe to conform to the shape of the last at the shank portion and to force the inner edge 43 of the shank portion of the sole 3 upwardly against the last at the point 42 and to apply a pressure between the sole and the shoe bottom at this point which is the same as that applied to the other parts of the sole.

In using these shoe presses, the attaching pressure is retained on the shoe until the cement has :dried, and after the cement is dried, the portion 43 of the sole which has been made to conform to the last at the point 62 will retain the shape given to it, as indicated in Fig. 8, and will thus have an arch-supporting effect.

One way in which the diaphragm 1 may be given this characteristic of uniform limited elasticity in all directions is by making it in the form of a rubber diaphragm which is reinforced with a plurality of plies of fabric which are so arranged relative to each other that the warp threads of each ply extend in a different direction from those of the other plies, as illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6, wherein b, c and d indicate the three plies of fabric, and the lining in said figure illustrates the direction of the warp threads of each ply.

I have herein shown the three superposed plies of fabric, b, c and d as adhesively united by thin intervening layers of rubber 45, the outer surfaces of the diaphragm being composed of relatively thick layers 46 of rubber or rubber-like material. The rubber and the fabric will be united by vulcanization or in any other suitable way.

The presence of the fabric in the diaphragm limits the stretching qualities thereof, but the arrangement of the plies relative to each other, as shown in Fig. 6 gives the fabric a limited elastic quality which is equa1 in all directions.

I claim:

1. A sole press for use in cementing soles to shoes comprising a body member presenting a rigid bottom and rigid side walls, a flexible soleengaging diaphragm having its marginal portion secured to said side walls, thereby forming a fluid-containing chamber which is filled with liquid, means for applying pressure to an assembled shoe and outer sole which is supported on the diaphragm with the sole in engagement therewith, a fiat-faced heel plate situated within the fluid-containing chamber and spaced from the rigid side walls thereof, the flat face of said heel plate engaging the under face of that portion only of the diaphragm on which the heel of the shoe rests, and means for retaining said heel plate in its operative position while permitting it to have a slight universal rocking movement, whereby said heel plate maintains the heel-engaging portion of the diaphragm lat when pressure is applied to the shoe but is free to rock sufficiently to conform to any variation in the angular position of the plane of the under face of said heel.

2. A sole press for use in cementing soles to shoes comprising a body member presenting a rigid bottom and rigid side walls, a sole-engaging flexible diaphragm having its marginal portion secured to said side walls, thereby forming a fluid-containing chamber, a nonvariable amount of liquid filling said chamber, means for applying pressure to an assembled shoe and out sole which is supported on the diaphragm with the sole in engagement therewith, and a rocking heel plate having a ball-and-socket connection with the bottom of the body member and situated beneath the heel-engaging portion of the diaphragm and adapted to have engagement with such portion only thereof and to determine its contour while the sole-attaching pressure is being applied, the portion of the diaphragm which engages the shank and fore part of the shoe sole being unsupported except by the liquid in the chamber and therefore being free to conform to the shape of such shank and. fore part when pressure is applied to the shoe.

3. A sole press for use in cementing soles to shoes comprising a pad member having a flexible shoe-supporting surface, a pressure screw for applying pressure to a shoe having a last inserted therewith and having a whole sole temporarily applied to its bottom face, an L-shaped pressure bracket having a vertical arm to engage the toe portion of the shoe and a horizontal arm with which the pressure screw has engagement, said horizontal arm having a longitudinally extending channel in its under face, and a pressuretransmitting member having the shape of a truncated cone and having its smaller end resting on the heel portion of the last and its larger end engaging the under side of said horizontal arm, said pressure-transmitting member having an upstanding projection which is received in said channel and having a depending pin extension to enter the jack pin hole of the last, said channel providing an infinite number of operative relative positions between the pressure-transmitting member and the pressure bracket whereby the same pressure-transmitting member can be used equally well with shoes of all sizes without necessitating any change in the point where the vertical arm thereof engages the shoe.

WILLIAM S. ANDERSON. 

